44 



if it falls on a clean bottom of cultch, it adheres to the hard 

 substance and there grows. Oysters are not improved by 

 being kept in tubs of fresh water, as they are sometimes by 

 the oyster merchant. They can be kept much better in a 

 cool place, by being laid out, deep shell downwards, in order 

 that the "juice," as it is called, may not run out, and they 

 are even said to improve in substance and flavour by that 

 means. 



The oyster, on attaining a separate 



The Three Ages existence, goes through the several 

 of the Oyster. ^ Q ^ broodj hal f warc and 



ware, or oyster, a year marking each stage. At six, or better 

 still, seven years of age, the oyster has reached perfection for 

 the epicure. The suitable temperature of the sea during 

 spawning time has been found to be 62 degrees fahrenheit. 



The oyster usually spawns in April or May at the age of 

 three years, and is said to be sick until the end of July, and 

 to be in prime condition by September. As an instance 

 that the oyster sometimes disregards these periods it may 

 be mentioned that one opened on the ist November, 1900, 

 at Herne Bay, was about to spawn. 



By the Fisheries (Oyster, Crab, and Lobster) Act, 1877, a 

 close-time for the dredging and sale of " deep sea oysters " 

 is fixed from the i5th June to 4th August, and for all other 

 kinds of oysters from 14111 of May to 4th August, except 

 oysters taken in the waters of a foreign state. Foreign oysters, 

 temporarily deposited on English beds for purposes of 

 storage only, do not come within this close-time regulation. 

 This Act applies to England and Scotland, but not to 

 Ireland, which, under another Act, has a close-time from 

 ist May to ist September, except where the dates are 

 varied by the inspectors of fisheries. The Whitstable Oyster 



